Dentist ordered to apologise to patient suffering nerve damage after root canal

A botched root canal may have caused a patient nerve damage, left a gap in their tooth, and caused a dent to another tooth.

A dentist in the NHS Lothian area performed a root canal on a patient’s lower right tooth, but they complained that the procedure was “not performed appropriately”.

The patient was also concerned that the dentist had caused injury to the inferior alveolar nerve, which runs through the lower jaw and provides sensation to the lower teeth, gum, lip and chin.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) received a complaint and ordered the dentist to apologise.

It concluded that the dentist “did not follow current guidance on endodontic practice”.

The watchdog stated that there was insufficient evidence to determine whether the dentist had damaged the nerve or dented the tooth, but it did generally uphold the complaint.

There was also “no evidence” that the dentist used special tests or X-rays that showed the entire tooth before the root canal was performed.

The Ombudsman stated that the dentist also used the incorrect solution to irrigate the tooth canal and employed an outdated method for assessing the quality of the X-ray taken.

“We noted that the dentist did refer [the patient] to the endodontist, but we did not find conclusive evidence that this should have happened sooner,” the SPSO added.

The watchdog ordered the practice to apologise for the mistakes, and told the dentist to “read through ‘A Guide to Good Endodontic Practice’ and make some reflective notes”.

NHS Lothian has been contacted for comment.